MUSHROOM & BELL PEPPER STIR FRY

MUSHROOM & BELL PEPPER STIR FRY

I love mushrooms and you will find recipes for Achari Khumb and Mushroom Chettinad elsewhere in this blog. Here is one more.

Mushrooms and bell peppers are both amongst my favourites so this recipe which I got from my friend, Rama Kini really excited me. The stir fry can be made in different variations as described below. I chose to have it without too much gravy but did use corn flour and Red Chilly Sauce. I skipped the green chillies.

This dish is easy to make as both mushrooms and bell pepper take very little time to cook. The different colours of the bell pepper adds to the visual appeal of the dish.

Ingredients:

• Mushrooms, 200 gms
• Bell Pepper, (preferably, red, yellow and green), 1 and 1/2 cups
• Garlic, 6-8 pods
• Green Chillies, 2-3  * I did not use
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Freshly ground Pepper, to taste
• Corn Flour, 1 tbsp
• Soya Sauce or Red Chilly Sauce or Tomato Ketchup, as per taste

Method:

Chop mushrooms into fairly big pieces
Slice bell peppers to thin strips

Mince 6-8 garlic pods

Slit 2-3 green chillies

In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When it gets heated add minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute

Add the slit green chillies and stir

Add the chopped mushrooms and salt. This leaves water.

Stir till the mushrooms are cooked and all the water has dried

Now add the bell peppers and saute without overcooking as the bell peppers should remain crisp
Finally add some freshly ground pepper and mix well

* If you want it with a little gravy, add some corn flour and water to make a corn flour slurry
mixed with sauce of your choice. Add this at the end before taking off the flame

* To make butter garlic mushrooms, add butter instead of oil and omit green chillies

KASHI HALWA: GUEST POST BY PRATHIMA BHANDARY

KASHI HALWA: GUEST POST BY PRATHIMA BHANDARY

Today's post is a Guest Post after a long time. The contributor is my friend, Prathima Bhandary, who presents a dessert called, "Kashi Halwa" which is very popular in the Udupi-Mangaluru region of Karnataka.

This dish is delicious and I am sure you will like it. It is frequently served at our weddings and other functions. The main ingredient is ash gourd which we call Kuwale, in Konkani, (Boodhkumbalkayi in Kannada and Petha Kaddu in Hindi).

Ingredients:

• Ash Gourd, grated, 2 cups
• Sugar, 3/4 cup
• Cardamom Powder, (Elaichi) out of 2 cardamoms
• Cashewnuts, 10-12
• Ghee, 2 tsp
• Colour, a pinch

Method:

Wash, peel and remove the pith of the ash gourd and grate it
Remove the excess water
Cook the grated ash gourd in a pan. There is no need to add water as the ash gourd discharges water by itself.
Cook till it becomes soft and is reduced to about 3/4 of its original quantity.
Add sugar and cook again stirring constantly on low flame till the water evaporates

Add the ghee and colour and mix well. Cook till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.
Finally add the cardamom powder and mix well

Garnish with roasted cashewnuts

NELLIKAYI CHITRANNA

NELLIKAYI CHITRANNA

Chitranna is a generic name for seasoned rice popular in my home state of Karnataka. You will find recipes for Nimbehannu Chitranna or Lime Rice , and Maavinkayi Chitranna or Mango Rice elsewhere in this blog.

Likewise, Nellikayi Chitranna is a form of rice made with gooseberries which are called "Nellikayi " in Kannada. They are called Amla in Hindi and Avalo in Konkani, my mother tongue. Gooseberries are supposed to be rich in Vitamin C.

You can make this with either the big variety of gooseberries or even the smaller ones. Today's dish has been made with the smaller gooseberries. Some make this with red chillies, others with green chillies. I have used both and as usual I have used red chillies of the Byadgi variety.

If you are using freshly made rice, ensure it is fully cooled and that the rice grains are separate from each other and not in clumps when used for this dish.

I am grateful to my friend Kalpana for her inputs in making this dish. We enjoyed this thoroughly and I am sure you would too.

Ingredients:

• Gooseberries, 1/2 cup
• Cooked Rice, 3 cups
• Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Green Chillies, 2
• Red Chillies, roasted, 3
• Asafoetida ( Hing) , a large pinch, roasted in a little oil
• Fried Gram, ( Hurigadle in Kannada) 1 tbsp
• Methi Powder, 1/2 tsp ( dry roast the methi seeds and grind to a powder) 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Jaggery, 1/2 tsp
• Groundnuts, roasted, 2 tbsp

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli. broken into two pieces, 1 
• Urad Dal, 2  tsp
• Channa Dal, 2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Oil, 2 tbsp 

Method:

Wash the gooseberries and de-seed them.
Chop them into small pieces and keep aside
In a mixer, using least amount of water, grind the gooseberries, coconut gratings, green chillies, roasted red chillies, asafoetida, fried gram, methi powder, and jaggery to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

In a kadhai, add oil and when it gets hot, add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add urad dal and channa dal. Fry till they become a light golden brown in colour. Add the broken red chillies, and then the curry leaves and saute.

Add the ground paste and fry for a while till the raw smell goes.
Now add the cooked rice, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well till the rice is blended properly with the ground paste.
Garnish with roasted groundnuts

Serve with curd pachadi or fried happala (a form of pappad)

AVARO ANI BATATA UPKARI

AVARO ANI BATATA UPKARI

By the way, this is the season here in Bengaluru for Hyacainth Beans which is called "Avarrekai" in Kannada. Elsewhere in this blog, I have written about the Avarekalu Uppitu or Upma made with Hyacinth Beans.

This easy to make dish which I share today has no name in English that I can think of.  "Avaro" and " Batato" are Konkani words for Hyacinth Beans and Potatoes respectively.

"Upkari" is a side dish to the main meal, typically made of stir fried vegetables. This dish has always been a favourite in my house. We usually relish this when served with rice and dhal.

If you wish, you can garnish with fresh coconut gratings.

Ingredients:

• Hyacinth Beans, (Avaro) cooked, 2 cups
• Potatoes, ( Batato) medium-sized, boiled and cubed, 2
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2  tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp, or to taste
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup, for garnishing (optional)
• Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp - to be dissolved in water

Method:

Heat oil in a non-stick kadhai, when it gets heated, on medium flame, add the mustard seeds.

When it splutters, add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Add the cubed boiled potatoes, salt, turmeric powder, and chilli powder,

Stir fry till the potatoes get well coated with the powders

Now add the cooked Hyacinth Beans, mix well and cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat

Garnish with fresh coconut gratings (optional) and asafoetida dissolved in water (Hinga Udda) 

Serve hot as a side dish to the main meal

BATATA LOSNE SAUNG

BATATA LOSNE SAUNG

This dish is of baby potatoes cooked in a sauce of chillies, garlic and tamarind. This is different from the regular "Batata Saung" that we make as it has a liberal use of garlic (losun). It goes best as a side dish with our traditional meal of rice and dalithoi.

I must mention that the spice levels varies as per one's taste. We cook fairly spicy food at our home. If you would prefer to tone down the number of chillies, you could do that. However, please note that the dish looks more fiery hot than it really is, thanks to the Byadgi chillies.

Please remember to lightly crush the garlic cloves used for seasoning as otherwise full garlic cloves  are likely to splutter.

Ingredients:

• Baby Potatoes, 30-35
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies,  8-10
• Tamarind, size of a small lemon
• Garlic Cloves, 8, 
• Salt, to taste
• Garlic Cloves, lightly crushed, for seasoning, 8-10
• Oil, 2 tbsp, 

Method:

Wash and cook the baby potatoes in a cooker. Cool and peel them. Keep aside.
Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice

In a mixer, grind the roasted red chillies, tamarind extract and garlic cloves (8) to a smooth paste using just the right amount of water. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai, and when it gets hot, add the lightly crushed garlic cloves
Saute the garlic cloves till they turn light brown
Add the ground chilli-garlic-tamarind paste (masala)
Fry the masala for a few minutes till the raw smell goes
Now add the cooked potatoes, and salt.
Mix well so that the potatoes are well coated with the masala
Add a little water and cook till you get the consistency you prefer
Serve hot

ALOO MATAR

ALOO MATAR

If I need to make a dish when I am in a hurry, I always turn to Aloo Matar which is easy to make and is tasty. Moreover, I have found that most people like potatoes (aloo) and peas (matar), so this makes a good combination.

This dry version of Aloo Matar can be served as a side dish with rice and curry or had with rotis. Since this doesn't contain onions or garlic, it also qualifies as a Satvik dish.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes, medium-sized, 4
• Frozen Green Peas, 1 cup
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Ginger, finely chopped, 1/2 " piece
• Green Chillies, slit, 1
• Red Chilly Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2 tbsp, to garnish

Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes. Allow them to cool, then peel and cut them into bite sized cubes

Heat oil in a kadhai. When it gets heated, add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add ginger and green chilly. Stir fry for 1 minute

Add the green peas and saute for a few minutes. Add salt to taste
Add the cubed potatoes and stir fry over medium flame for 2-3 minutes

Now add the red chilly powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.

Lower the heat and stir fry till the spices merge well with the potatoes and peas

Mix well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves

PINEAPPLE MENASKAI

PINEAPPLE MENASKAI

If you visit Udupi or Mangaluru  in the State of Karnataka which is our part of the country, you must make it a point to try our Pineapple Menaskai, which I think you will not be able to resist. Menaskais are spicy sweet gravy made of different types of fruits and vegetables.

This recipe is adapted from the one sent by my friend, Nisha Baliga Shenoy, an accomplished home chef and blogger. She has contributed her recipe for Rava Ladoos here in this blog.

When I saw that Nisha's recipe for Pineapple Menaskai called for 20 Red Chillies, I knew it had to be of the Byadgi variety which add substantially to the colour but are not all that hot. I used 15 Byadgi Red Chillies when I made this dish. If you are using more spicy variety of chillies, I should think that 6-8 should be quite adequate.

Ingredients:

• Pineapple, medium-sized, 1
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tbsp
• Methi Seeds, 1 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Coconut, grated, 2 tbsp
• White Sesame Seeds, (Til), 2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Red Chillies, (Byadgi variety), 15
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Remove the skin from the pineapple and chop it into small cubes

Heat oil in a pan and fry coriander, urad dal, methi, til and chillies separately. Keep aside.

Add enough water and cook the pineapple cubes in a vessel till done

Grind together coconut gratings and all the fried items, using a little water, to a smooth masala

Heat oil in a pan, when it gets hot, add mustard and when it crackles add the curry leaves and the ground masala

Add salt to taste, and jaggery and enough water to make a gravy

Let it boil, then add the cooked pineapple cubes and mix well

Bring this to a boil and cook for 2-5 minutes on low flame stirring till the gravy thickens

Serve hot

ALOO DUMPLINGS IN PALAK PUREE

ALOO DUMPLINGS IN PALAK PUREE

This side dish is made with potato (aloo in Hindi) dumplings and a spinach (palak in Hindi) puree.
As you may be aware, potatoes and health-filled spinach make a good combination.

The recipe for this dish was shared by my friend, Vidya Nayak Shenoy. I liked the fact that the potato dumplings are shallow fried and immersed in the palak puree.

This dish goes well with rotis.

Ingredients:

• Palak (Spinach), 2 bunches
• Potatoes, medium-sized, boiled, 3 
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies, crushed, 3
• Salt, to taste
• Corn Flour, 1 tbsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Jeera, (Cumin), 1 tsp
• Onion, chopped, 1
• Tomato, chopped, 1
• Red Chill Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, a large pinch
• Garam Masala Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Sugar, a pinch

Method:

Wash the palak thoroughly then boil it for 2-3 minutes
Immediately refresh it in cold water and make a smooth puree of the palak in a mixer. Keep aside.
Mash the boiled potatoes
In a bowl, mix the mashed boiled potatoes with the ginger garlic paste, crushed green chillies and salt.
Add the corn flour to aid binding and make small balls out of the potato mixture
On a tawa, flatten the potato balls and lightly shallow fry them by drizzling a little oil. Keep aside
In a kadhai, heat oil and on medium flame add jeera, When it sizzles, add the chopped onion and saute
Next add the chopped tomato and fry till it becomes soft
Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and a pinch of sugar
Pour in the palak puree and bring it to a boil
Add the shallow fried potato dumplings to the gravy and let it simmer for a few minutes
Serve hot

TANDOORI MUSHROOMS

TANDOORI MUSHROOMS

As you would have guessed by now, we are fond of mushrooms. Apart from everything else, they are low in calories and rich in proteins.  Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for Achari Khumb, Mushroom Sukka, and Matar Mushrooms.

This recipe is adapted from the one by Tarlaji Dalal. I had first come across it in her book, "Cooking With 1 Tsp Of Oil," This book was amazing as all the recipes there were cooked with just 1 tsp of oil. I find the recipe is also available on her website.

We had this with rotis and found it made a great combination.

Ingredients:

• Mushrooms, 300 gms
• Milk, 1/2 cup
• Corn flour, 1/2 tsp
• Kasoori Methi, ( Dried Fenugreek Leaves). 1/2 tsp
• Oil, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For the Chilli-Garlic Paste:

• Red Chillies, whole, 4 * I used Byadgi variety 
• Garlic, large cloves, 4
• Ginger, 1 " piece
• Coriander-Cumin Seed Powder ( Dhania-Jeera Powder), 2 tsp

Method:

Wash the mushrooms and cut them into halves. Keep aside.

Dissolve the cornflour in the milk and keep aside

Grind the red chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander and cumin seed powder using just the required amount of water to make a paste. 

Heat the oil in a kadhai and when it gets hot, add the ground chilli-garlic paste and kasoori methi. Saute for 1 minute

Add the halved mushrooms and the mixture made of cornflour and milk, and salt to taste

Saute for 4-5 minutes till the mushroom pieces are well coated with the masala

Serve hot